Toronto’s ACTRA and Social Media Web Series
September 21, 2015
On September 10, 2015 at The IYA Studio in Toronto Bobby Del Rio and Amanda Jane Smith gear up for the first IRL the Series shoot. The small studio feels cluttered with Tony Babcock working in the office at the back, and hair and make up set up on the table next to him. The two women work on finishing Celeste Bruno’s hair while Smith, who’s also in the scene, runs around greeting actors and getting everything finalized. The kitchen separates the office and make up from the set. Del Rio works with a key crew setting up the scene with full lights, a Black Magic 4K camera, and a sound technician. Del Rio focuses only on directing and setting up the scene, and any questions outside of this Del Rio answers with, “that’s an Amanda question.” The same answer, repeated several times throughout the day, refers immediately to Executive Producer Smith.
Once the scene is lit and actors wired for sound, Del Rio stands right next to the camera studying the monitor. Smith and Bruno settle in, and Del Rio instructs them to repeat one of their lines back and forth to each other. The exercise, meant to charge them for the scene, goes on right up until Del Rio yells, “action!” This director’s push reminds one how much hard work goes into acting.
The scene is part of one of the first episodes for IRL, but clips of this will work into the Indiegogo Campaign video. “[This episode] is perfectly emblematic of the aesthetic of IRL,” explains Del Dio, “because they’re looking at these lives but it’s the disconnect between real life and the perception of life online.” The episode shows two straight guys looking at a lesbian couple on Facebook, and then cuts to the couple’s personal space, as they deal with the heartbreaking challenge of trying to have children. The juxtaposition of these two scenes aim to sell the series for what is it to potential viewers and contributors.
In Real Life (IRL) is a web series looking at, ‘the intersection of social media culture with contemporary society.’ The truth on how social media is entrenched into our daily lives is not a new concept. This is especially evident in the previous generation of critics currently citing the negative effects of social media on today’s youth. Anyone can Google the countless political cartoons, visual art, and social experiments on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter damaging society. The irony is it’s these same social media tools that make these old media criticisms go viral. The whole concept gets incredibly meta.
Director and playwright, Bobby Del Rio, looks at the entrenchment of social media into daily life from a different angle. For Del Rio these ways of communicating do change the world, but also pave the way for new stories and new ways of telling them.
IRL the Series started out as a Del Rio looking for a new film project. Although making the bulk of his career in theatre, Del Rio has worked more recently in film as a producer, writer, actor, and of course director. According to IMDB, Del Rio has written and directed four short films and is currently in post-production for his first feature The Market. Originally, Del Rio posted in the Young Emerging Actors Assembly (YEAA) Facebook group asking fellow ACTRA actors if they wanted to film something. He had so many people respond to his post that Del Rio ended up with 65 cast members.
The scene is part of one of the first episodes for IRL, but clips of this will work into the Indiegogo Campaign video. “[This episode] is perfectly emblematic of the aesthetic of IRL,” explains Del Dio, “because they’re looking at these lives but it’s the disconnect between real life and the perception of life online.” The episode shows two straight guys looking at a lesbian couple on Facebook, and then cuts to the couple’s personal space, as they deal with the heartbreaking challenge of trying to have children. The juxtaposition of these two scenes aim to sell the series for what is it to potential viewers and contributors.
In Real Life (IRL) is a web series looking at, ‘the intersection of social media culture with contemporary society.’ The truth on how social media is entrenched into our daily lives is not a new concept. This is especially evident in the previous generation of critics currently citing the negative effects of social media on today’s youth. Anyone can Google the countless political cartoons, visual art, and social experiments on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter damaging society. The irony is it’s these same social media tools that make these old media criticisms go viral. The whole concept gets incredibly meta.
Director and playwright, Bobby Del Rio, looks at the entrenchment of social media into daily life from a different angle. For Del Rio these ways of communicating do change the world, but also pave the way for new stories and new ways of telling them.
IRL the Series started out as a Del Rio looking for a new film project. Although making the bulk of his career in theatre, Del Rio has worked more recently in film as a producer, writer, actor, and of course director. According to IMDB, Del Rio has written and directed four short films and is currently in post-production for his first feature The Market. Originally, Del Rio posted in the Young Emerging Actors Assembly (YEAA) Facebook group asking fellow ACTRA actors if they wanted to film something. He had so many people respond to his post that Del Rio ended up with 65 cast members.
Executive Producer Amanda Jane Smith at TIFF
For Amanda Jane Smith the posting came up on Facebook with perfect timing. The executive producer spent the last few years working for the D’alessio Law Group. At first she worked as a paralegal, as she helped fellow actors put together their visa packages for the U.S. Then Smith moved up by doing business development for the firm. The attorney at D’alessio loved her work so much she offered Smith a higher position with more responsibility and more money. Smith, who has a family and wanted to buy a house, was thrilled about the opportunity. But with saying yes to this opportunity, Smith delved deeper into a Plan B job.
“I woke up a couple days after the opportunity had been verbally offered,” said Smith, “and thought, ‘this is wrong.’” Smith went to her boss and said she couldn’t take the position. Smith cited how the cases she builds for actors every day inspired her too much, and she needed to focus on her Plan A career. “No sooner did I talk to my boss, and tell her, ‘I’m stepping back,’ that Bobby posted that message on Facebook,” explains Smith. Smith knew if she wanted to act and produce more she had to find a mentor. “Bobby was on my radar,” said Smith when referring to mentorship possibilities. Smith responded to the Facebook post saying she wanted to help produce. “He called me and said, ‘you’ll be the producer and I’ll mentor you,’” said Smith, “that’s exactly what I wanted.”
“I woke up a couple days after the opportunity had been verbally offered,” said Smith, “and thought, ‘this is wrong.’” Smith went to her boss and said she couldn’t take the position. Smith cited how the cases she builds for actors every day inspired her too much, and she needed to focus on her Plan A career. “No sooner did I talk to my boss, and tell her, ‘I’m stepping back,’ that Bobby posted that message on Facebook,” explains Smith. Smith knew if she wanted to act and produce more she had to find a mentor. “Bobby was on my radar,” said Smith when referring to mentorship possibilities. Smith responded to the Facebook post saying she wanted to help produce. “He called me and said, ‘you’ll be the producer and I’ll mentor you,’” said Smith, “that’s exactly what I wanted.”
Meanwhile Smith still works as a consultant for D’alessio Law Group. Smith made a deal with her boss offering to use her D’alessio e-mail with the cast of IRL. The entire 65 members would see the law firm’s letterhead, and D’alessio gave them $500 to start off production.
With the overwhelming number of cast members, all of who were looking for a proper role, Del Rio proposed a drop-in style rehearsal schedule. This started with Smith and Del Rio getting all potential cast members to join a closed Facebook group called the ‘IRL Web Series Collective.’ It didn’t take long for all of those involved to simply be referred to as The Collective.
The Facebook group served as a tool to keep communication between the 65 cast members, and start discussions on anything relating to the main themes of the project. The communications between the cast, and Del Rio and Smith categorized as posting changes to rehearsal times/locations. The discussion-type posts, which took up the majority of the group’s page, transition both in and out of rehearsals. This is also where the IRL Collectives gets meta. It’s a discussion about social media, in a social media structure (like a forum), on a social media platform (Facebook).
Each time there’s a trending article about the Internet it goes in the group. This includes big news stories such as the Ashley Madison scandal, or viral content on selfies, Tinder, and that celebrity-related video that’s been going around. Some of the episodes written for IRL the Series stem from a post on this group, or a discussion in rehearsal. One often influences the other, and it’s hard to trace back to exactly where the story originated.
Now this Facebook group and The Collective’s rehearsals is where the web series deviates from conventional filmmaking. The rehearsals were set up in a drop-in style, because of the large cast it’s impossible to set up fixed schedules. Typically rehearsals ran twice a week for a few hours, and members of The Collective attended whenever they could.
As Del Rio has a theatre background this style of working with his actors fits right into his comfort zone. Several of the rehearsals worked out of Tony Babcock’s The IYA Studio, or in similar spaces. Del Rio and Smith sit with however many actors decide to show up. Each rehearsal follows a similar structure. Del Rio will lead a discussion on the latest social media-based craze, as often it’s a post from The Collective’s Facebook group. It’s an open discussion, and anyone can join and contribute. Smith, as executive producer, takes notes of anything significant such as topics covered, which cast attended rehearsals, characters, and scenes.
After the initial discussion, Del Rio picks a topic such as, ‘social media and negative impacts at work.’ He then splits the cast up into groups, and tells the actors to come up with scenes based on the selected topic. Del Rio gives everyone three minutes to discuss, and then everyone takes turns performing. It forces every actor in the room to improvise. Sometimes Del Rio will intervene during the scene making changes, as he continues to push his actors out of their comfort zone. After each group performs the actors regroup to discuss what worked and what didn’t. Del Rio and Smith repeat this structure as actors come and go, until rehearsal ends.
Rehearsals started on May 14, 2015, and developed into a four-month long audition process. When actors first signed on, IRL Series started with 65 ACTRA members. With the first episode shoot completed the cast pared down to 22 roles. Those who attended three or more rehearsals were guaranteed a role in the series. Smith confirmed the final count with 13 lead roles and nine supporting for Season 1.
With the overwhelming number of cast members, all of who were looking for a proper role, Del Rio proposed a drop-in style rehearsal schedule. This started with Smith and Del Rio getting all potential cast members to join a closed Facebook group called the ‘IRL Web Series Collective.’ It didn’t take long for all of those involved to simply be referred to as The Collective.
The Facebook group served as a tool to keep communication between the 65 cast members, and start discussions on anything relating to the main themes of the project. The communications between the cast, and Del Rio and Smith categorized as posting changes to rehearsal times/locations. The discussion-type posts, which took up the majority of the group’s page, transition both in and out of rehearsals. This is also where the IRL Collectives gets meta. It’s a discussion about social media, in a social media structure (like a forum), on a social media platform (Facebook).
Each time there’s a trending article about the Internet it goes in the group. This includes big news stories such as the Ashley Madison scandal, or viral content on selfies, Tinder, and that celebrity-related video that’s been going around. Some of the episodes written for IRL the Series stem from a post on this group, or a discussion in rehearsal. One often influences the other, and it’s hard to trace back to exactly where the story originated.
Now this Facebook group and The Collective’s rehearsals is where the web series deviates from conventional filmmaking. The rehearsals were set up in a drop-in style, because of the large cast it’s impossible to set up fixed schedules. Typically rehearsals ran twice a week for a few hours, and members of The Collective attended whenever they could.
As Del Rio has a theatre background this style of working with his actors fits right into his comfort zone. Several of the rehearsals worked out of Tony Babcock’s The IYA Studio, or in similar spaces. Del Rio and Smith sit with however many actors decide to show up. Each rehearsal follows a similar structure. Del Rio will lead a discussion on the latest social media-based craze, as often it’s a post from The Collective’s Facebook group. It’s an open discussion, and anyone can join and contribute. Smith, as executive producer, takes notes of anything significant such as topics covered, which cast attended rehearsals, characters, and scenes.
After the initial discussion, Del Rio picks a topic such as, ‘social media and negative impacts at work.’ He then splits the cast up into groups, and tells the actors to come up with scenes based on the selected topic. Del Rio gives everyone three minutes to discuss, and then everyone takes turns performing. It forces every actor in the room to improvise. Sometimes Del Rio will intervene during the scene making changes, as he continues to push his actors out of their comfort zone. After each group performs the actors regroup to discuss what worked and what didn’t. Del Rio and Smith repeat this structure as actors come and go, until rehearsal ends.
Rehearsals started on May 14, 2015, and developed into a four-month long audition process. When actors first signed on, IRL Series started with 65 ACTRA members. With the first episode shoot completed the cast pared down to 22 roles. Those who attended three or more rehearsals were guaranteed a role in the series. Smith confirmed the final count with 13 lead roles and nine supporting for Season 1.
The cast of IRL the Series at TIFF's Young Filmmakers Party.
IRL the Series used theatre-based development for screen-based output. At this point the team only have one episode filmed, but have plans for a total of ten. The web series is an ACTRA co-op production, meaning that everyone involved agreed to an equal share of profits. This agreement holds up even in the event of a profit of zero. This is a common production option for ACTRA members doing web series. Although both Del Rio and Smith are both prepared for a budget of zero, the team hopes to supplement that with an Indiegogo campaign. During the shoot on September 10, Del Rio also had interviews with the cast and a key art photo shoot. The actors and production team promoted hard during the Toronto International Film Festival, and the series is officially credited on IMDB. IRL the Series aims to produce quality content, and hopefully will join the ranks of growing number of web series garnering international attention.
